Hearts and Homes on the Mend
OKLAHOMA CITY
Danny Fisher, wife Kathy and 17-year-old daughter Kristie huddled in their hallway as the worst tornado in 50 years struck their home. The killer tornado twisted, twirled and tore away the roof, the ceilings and two walls in the living room along with the garage. Then like a giant bulldozer, it toppled house after house like dominoes in a row throughout their neighborhood.
“It only lasted three minutes, but it seemed like a lifetime,” say the Fishers, who did not believe they would survive the storm.
But survive they did. And so did several women in the neighborhood who were pulled to safety from the rubble of their homes by Danny Fisher, a member of AFSCME Local 2406.
The Fishers are among many AFSCME members and their families who either lost their homes or sustained severe property damage May 3 when some 78 tornadoes touched down in the city over a four-hour period. The storm, which packed winds over 318 miles per hour, killed 44 people and injured 500 others
NEW BEGINNINGS. Though most of the Fishers’ house is still standing, it has been condemned. The family recently signed papers authorizing a Florida-based construction company to demolish what’s left. After that, it may take anywhere from one year to 18 months to rebuild. “The storm may have destroyed our home, but it has not dampened our spirits,” Danny Fisher says.
Across town, AFSCME member Dan Churchill tells how four families, including his own, took cover in a neighbor’s underground shelter to ride out the storm.
A Local 2406 shop steward, Churchill had just arrived home from his job as a city electrical inspector about 5:35 p.m. when he heard the emergency broadcast. The family headed for the shelter, Churchill taking along an ax in case a fallen tree would block the cellar door.
The families survived, and their houses were spared, with only minor wind damage to shingles. “By the Grace of God, we made it,” Churchill declares.
DAMAGE CONTROL. Churchill, like many AFSCME employees, has put in long hours to begin to put the storm-ravaged area back together. He is one of 24 electrical inspectors who since the storm has been inspecting damaged houses. Public works department employees have been assisting with natural gas line repairs as well as electrical power outages, making sure it is safe for people to return to their homes and neighborhoods.
According to Local 2406 Interim Pres. James Hankins, members who work in the Street and Solid Waste departments have worked 16- to 18-hour days to assist with the clean-up effort.
Local secretary Carole Brannon, among the lucky ones to have been missed by the storm, keeps a log of where members can be located and what impact the storm had on them and their families.
The Local represents 850 members from Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, Midwest City, Choctaw, Mustang, Yucon, Spencer and surrounding areas of Jones and Harrah.
In Texarkana, Texas, many AFSCME Local 3806 members lost their homes to the severe weather. Chief steward Richard Soderling says some 70 percent of the town of 3,000 suffered storm damage to their property.
At the Mark W. Michael Correctional facility in Tennessee Colony outside Palestine, Texas, several inmates were injured in their dormitories during the storm. Local 3806 Pres. Don McCoy reported that no corrections officers were affected.
WELCOME RELIEF. James Hankins reported “tremendous support” from the Federal Emergency Management Administration, Red Cross, and other organizations. Donations of clothing, furniture and food also poured in.
Red Cross spokesperson Elizabeth Quirk praised the AFSCME members and nearly 600 volunteers from the devastated area and other states who helped with the relief effort. She says the agency is still assisting some 40 families who were impacted by the Oklahoma bombing several years ago.
By Venida RaMar Marshall
Victims' Relief Fund
In an effort to assist victims in Oklahoma hardest hit by the storm, AFSCME has set up a fund to provide assistance, kicked off with an initial contribution of $10,000. Additional contributions may be sent to AFSCME International’s Tornado Fund, 1625 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5687.
The AFSCME Advantage program has also extended financial relief to union members affected by the disaster.
Members who participate in the Union Plus Credit Card, Loan and Union Member Mortgage and Real Estate programs may be eligible for payment extensions, financial assistance and other special help from program providers.
For more information, disaster victims who participate in the AFSCME Advantage program can call: Union Member Mortgage and Real Estate at 800-472-2005; Union Credit Card at 800-622-2580; or the Loan Program at 800-343-7097.
